flag officer

noun

: any of the officers in the navy or coast guard above captain compare general officer

Examples of flag officer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The department would also be permitted to conduct regular audits to flag officers who use the system frequently or conduct unusual searches. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

There are currently about 850 general or flag officers in the military, which is less than 1 percent of the total force. — Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026

The flag officers stayed almost completely silent as Hegseth spoke about culture war issues mentioned in his book The War on Warriors. — Quil Lawrence, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

Since taking over a year ago, Hegseth has fired top generals and flag officers and vowed to empower the trigger-pullers. — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 2 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from such officers being entitled to display a flag with one or more stars indicating rank

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined above